Gifts and Curses
by Black Scepter
Summary: Michael Fri is coming to realize what excatly he feels for the girl without her body, but what is it exactly? And can he allow himself to tell her? Based off Keys of Destiny and Ghosts of the Past KH fics. Songfic, I do not own the copyrighted material.


AU to the events of both stories: Keys of Destiny and Ghosts of the Past. The song is "Gifts and Curses" by Yellowcard. Lyrics slightly modified.

To my **girlfriend**, my gift to my curse.

* * *

It's enough, it all ends here. Well, that's what I decided anyway. I had enough watching Miri and her friends struggle against Mara and her pet Alex, and don't get me wrong Sora is strong but even he is having a tough time beating them. I spent a lot of time with her, training her, teaching her, and through out it all I felt something…change. Was it love? But…I loved Yuffie too, so, what is this? Before I could muse anymore on this I was approached by someone I really didn't want to see right now, Miri herself.

"Watching the stars?" she asked, "The Dark Depths seems like a good place to."

"Oh um…yes." I stuttered, wait, me? Stutter? Something's wrong with me.

_Miri belongs to the words of a song,  
__I try to be strong for her, try not to be wrong for her,  
__But she will not wait for me anymore…anymore  
__Why did I say all those things before?  
__I was sure…_

We stood at the edge of the Dark Depths watching the stars.

"I wonder what worlds the stars are?" she asked, looking around.

I sighed and took my hand, lifted her hand and pointed to certain stars in the sky, "Atlantis… Neverland… Disney Castle… and there's Agrabah."

She laughed as I pointed random places at her, the whole time the two of us stood there and looked at the many worlds from a safe distance. The night as cold too, I had a jacket while she was still in her midriff. I removed my jacket and before any protest slipped it on her shoulders.

"But what about you…?" she asked, I just waved my hand dismissively.

"I'll be fine, Christmas Town is colder than this…"

"You don't have to be so strong," she sad as she snuggled in my jacket.

"Maybe, but I am anyway," I said quickly, my defense mechanism was beginning to kick in. So I mentally kicked myself and lowered them. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

She seemed…disappointed. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to say so I stayed silent. But soon I began to notice she was getting closer to me, the exposed bits of my jacket showed the bare skin not covered by her midriff. It looked silky and smooth, like velvet… could I even touch it? She was still ghost-like. Wait… why was I even considering it?! I knew what I had to do now, and…as much as I would be selfish, it just couldn't happen.

"Miri…I have to go." I said, turning around and beginning to walk away.

"Go? Where?" she asked, confused by the strange out of there statement.

"…I need to deal with something," I said, I was so close to walking away when she ran in front of me.

"I'll come with you."

"No!" I cut in harshly, "No, I have to do this alone."

"Do _what_ alone?!" she called out as I stepped pass her. It was only when I was a few steps ahead when I heard her gasp. Against my will I turned around and saw her shocked expression.

"You're going to fight Alex." she said.

I flinched, damn this girl was on target. If I stayed my will would betray me so I kept walking, until I was almost hit by a Fire spell. I turned my head to see her hand outstretched and her face angry.

"I knew I shouldn't have called you guys when we fought him, I _knew_ you would do this kind of thing."

"If you knew this would happen then why did you call us anyway?" I asked, her expression softened for a bit.

"I…I don't know."

I scoffed and reattempted to walk away, and as usual I didn't get very far.

"But that doesn't mean you can go off and do some macho hero thing, I can't let you fight Alex alone he's extremely powerful! Let me help you fight him!"

"No, I have to handle this alone." I said through gritted teeth.

"That's not a good reason," she cut in, "I know how to fight and-"

"No you don't!" I shouted, "You don't know anything! You're a stupid little fan girl who can't tell reality from fantasy, this isn't a game, people DIE! And you can't grasp that fact, and until you do you will get yourself and everyone else KILLED!"

Yep, I did it. She stopped and stared at me, these words…they must have hit home. Her eyes were confused and hurt, she looked shocked and angry. I…had caused another woman pain and suffering… just like before. So to continue to façade of a cold hearted man I turned and ran off, I had a good idea where Alex was so I decided to go there.

_(She is the one)  
__But I have a purpose  
__(She is the one)  
__And I have to fight this  
__(She is the one)  
__The villain I can't knock down_

I departed Radiant Garden immediately, I found Alex in Midgar. The ruined Shinra building from the Meteor spell, I was walking through the wreckage…my Keyblade in hand… when I was nearly hit by a Blizzara spell. My reflexes kicked in and I leaped aside, the ground where I was at was frozen solid.

"Who are you?"

I moved my head in the direction of the voice and saw a boy that fit the description that Miri and her friends gave me.

"Alex Darkend," I narrowed my eyes, "You hurt some friends of mine, Miranda Raider, and you're going to have to pay."

"You know Miranda…" Alex said, "Well then you must know of her corruption. She has swayed from the light to the darkness, and she must be returned to the true path."

"You don't know anything about light…and you don't know anything about Miri!"

"I know more than you could ever know," he smirked as he drew his blade. He rushed forward to me and I did the same, our blades met in a clash. He pulled out and kicked me backwards, I skidded back a bit ready to let out a Thunder spell. But he beat me to it, running up and kicking me again so that I sailed in the air and crashed through the building behind me.

_I see your face with every punch I take  
__And every bone I break, it's all for you  
__And my worst pains are words I cannot say  
__Still I will always fight on for you_

I was getting up when Alex leaped into the hole he kicked me into, I raised my Keyblade and blocked his attacks. Leaping further into the building, he was pursuing me. I swung my blade at him and parried Alex's attacks. Halfway through this Alex leaped away and cut a portion of the room and it tumbled toward me. I leaped away as it slammed into the wall behind me, it blew up and I saw Alex leap for me. I blocked his attack and we both swung our swords at each other, clashing again.

"This power…where is it coming from?" he asked.

"Like I'm about to tell you!" I yelled, shoving him through the building. I leaped after him and looked around, he wasn't there. Feeling the sinking feeling in my stomach I turned around and there he was, shooting Fira spells at me.

_Miri's alive in the bright sky,  
__The star's lights shine for her, above them I cry for her  
__Everything's small on the ground below, down below  
__What if I fall? Then where would I go? Would she know?_

I did a series of backflips to avoid them, growling Alex leaped off his position and began swinging at me. I blocked and dodged his attacks and called out one of my own.

"Retribution!"

I swung upwards with my energy infused Keyblade, but he dodged it and began assaulting me with punches and kicks. With a strong kick to the chest I flew backwards, bouncing off a broken stone wall. I yelled as I hit the ground, damn the things I do for women.

_(She is the one)  
__All that I wanted  
__(She is the one)  
__And I will be haunted  
__(She is the one)  
__This gift is my curse for now_

I got up and saw Alex preparing for a strike, I would let that happen and so I began to charge my strongest attack. A yellow aura flared around me and I rushed forward.

"Chaotic Retribu-"

My words were cut when Alex thrust his sword and stabbed me in the chest. I gasped as he held me in the air, like a pig skewered on a spear.

"You feel this pain? The pain Miri gave me?" Alex asked me, I could see my own blood stain the steel. "Let me show you…the worst of it."

He said as with the blade he threw me into the air, I twisted for a bit until I saw him leap after me and thrust his swords into painful stabs. I screamed as showers of my blood painted the wrecked floor, with a final hit I flew to the ground, crashing into it but not through it.

_I see your face with every punch I take  
__And every bone I break, it's all for you  
__And my worst pains are words I cannot say  
__Still I will always fight on for you_

I groaned and yelled as I slowly stood up, using my sword to stand upright.

"You're weak!" Alex laughed, "You cannot even hope to stand in the holy light!"

"I had enough of you…you did… the worst thing anyone could possibly do," I growled, yelling the next part as loud as I can. "you messed with my family!!!"

That was it, she was like my family…which is why I cared so much. I lifted my hand over my head and began to gather dark energy.

"My friends are my family, you messed with them…now I'm going to mess with you!" I yelled as a black mask of bone formed on my face. "_**Now you will feel real pain!"**_

Alex was surprised to see my mask, my power over my dark side. I leaped into the air as my blade glowed red.

"_**Stinger!"**_ I yelled and began rushing around Alex, slicing into him just as he did for me. With one final slash I blasted him out of the city, no…I didn't kill him, I wish I did though. And normally I would go after him to kill him…but… I was at the last of my strength. The mask faded from my face and I fell, landing back on the ground but by then I lost consciousness.

_I see your face with every punch I take  
__And every bone I break, it's all for you  
__And my worst pains are words I cannot say  
__Still I will always fight on for you_

When I awoke I was on "The Black Scepter", the infirmary ward. Mark and Matt were there.

"Mind telling me what happened?" Mark asked.

"…Not yet," I lowered my head, "What about Miri and the others?"

Matt spoke this time. "They left, went off world cause they heard someone attacked Alex in Midgar."

"The same place where we found you," Mark said in a knowing tone, "So…mind filling the blanks?"

I smirked, "Why, you have it already figured out."

Mark kept a straight face while saying, "Yeah I do, okay, well rest up. We're doing some more exploring."

I nodded as my two brothers left, I laid against the pillow. Wishing I had a rock to hit my own head with. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!_ _I yelled and shouted at her, and I got my ass kicked. _

I sighed and looked to my side, what I saw made me gasp. My jacket, the one I gave Miri on that night, now laying across the chair next to me.

_I see your face with every punch I take  
__And every bone I break, it's all for you  
__And my worst pains are words I cannot say  
__Still I will always fight on for you  
__Fight on for you  
__Fight on for you  
__Fight on for you!_

End.


End file.
